Serra Gaúcha wine country: Bento Gonçalves beyond Gramado

Bento Gonçalves is the base for Brazil’s best-known wine area, 114 km (71 mi) from Porto Alegre by road. The Vale dos Vinhedos has 31 wineries across 82 km², and four more recognized wine origins lie in the same hills. Gramado is a separate town, and there is no direct bus between the two.

Why go

The Serra Gaúcha is where Brazil makes most of its wine. Italian immigrants, many from the Veneto, settled these hills in the late 19th century and planted vines on small family plots. Many of those families still run the wineries, and Italian surnames, dialect and food are part of daily life.

Most visitors to Rio Grande do Sul’s mountains go to Gramado and Canela for chocolate shops and Christmas lights. Bento Gonçalves is a working wine town. You come here to taste, eat long Italian-style lunches and drive between vineyards. The region is best known for sparkling wine (espumante) and for Merlot, the red that does best in the Vale dos Vinhedos.

Getting there

Porto Alegre is the main gateway, and the drive to Bento Gonçalves takes just under two hours. Buses leave from the Porto Alegre rodoviária through the day.

There are about ten bus departures a day from Porto Alegre, from early morning to evening. Fares vary by company and by how far ahead you book. Buy at the rodoviária or on the operators’ websites.

By air. Fly into Porto Alegre for the most flights. Caxias do Sul airport is about 45 km (28 mi) from Bento and has fewer flights, and winter fog can shut it down. If you land in Caxias in June to August, keep a backup plan.

Taxis and ride apps. In 2025 a taxi from Porto Alegre airport to Bento was a fixed fare of about R$ 510 (about US$100), and ride apps ran under R$ 300 (about US$59). From Caxias do Sul, a taxi was about R$ 180 (about US$35) and a ride app about R$ 100 (about US$20). From Gramado, expect around R$ 300 (about US$59) by ride app and from about R$ 450 (about US$89) by taxi, one way.

Check before you go: bus fares and times change, and flights to Caxias do Sul are limited. Confirm with the bus company or the airline a few days before you travel.

For buses and rental cars across Brazil, see Long-distance buses in Brazil and Car rental in Brazil.

When to go

The harvest (vindima) runs from January to March, and it is the liveliest time to visit. Wineries run harvest activities such as grape picking and stomping, and Bento’s tourism program, Estação Vindima, has run from mid-January to mid-March.

Winter (June to August) is the other high season. Cold, clear days and the chance of frost bring crowds from across Brazil, and the Vale dos Vinhedos expected more than 120,000 visitors in winter 2026. Weekends book up, so reserve lodging and winery visits early.

Spring (September to November) and autumn (April and May) are quieter. The vines are green in spring, and prices and crowds are lower outside harvest and July holidays. Pack layers year-round. Nights in the hills are cooler than in Porto Alegre, and winter mornings can be close to freezing.

Harvest dates and program schedules change each year. Check the current calendar with Aprovale (the Vale dos Vinhedos producers’ association) or the Bento Gonçalves tourism office before you book.

For a country-wide view, see Best time to visit Brazil.

Where to stay

Bento Gonçalves gives you the shortest drives to the Vale dos Vinhedos and the widest choice of hotels. Stay in town if you will use taxis or a driver, since that is where they are based.

The Vale dos Vinhedos itself has about 12 lodgings, many attached to wineries. Staying in the valley means waking up among vines and walking to dinner. It also means you need a car or a driver for almost everything else.

Garibaldi, next to Bento, is a smaller town known for sparkling wine. Pinto Bandeira and Farroupilha are quieter alternatives with their own wineries. Rates rise on winter weekends and during the harvest, so book directly with the lodging and compare midweek prices.

What to do

Know the regions

Brazil’s patent office, INPI, recognizes five wine origins in this area. Each has its own rules on grapes and production.

The Vale dos Vinhedos was Brazil’s first geographical indication, and it also holds a denominação de origem, the stricter category. Its producers’ association, Aprovale, has worked on the area since 1995.

Visit wineries

The Vale dos Vinhedos draws about 450,000 visitors a year, so the main wineries are set up for tourists. Expect a tasting room, a shop and often a guided tour of the cellar. Smaller family wineries may only open by appointment.

Dom Cândido and Casa Valduga sit next to each other on Via Trento, which makes them easy to pair. Miolo, Lidio Carraro and Angheben are on RS 444, the main road through the valley. Aurora, a large cooperative in central Bento Gonçalves, is the one winery you can reach without a car.

Pinto Bandeira, north of Bento, is known for traditional-method sparkling wine. Cave Geisse there runs vineyard experiences, including jeep tours, at R$ 200 to R$ 500 per person (about US$39 to US$98, checked Oct 2026). The Altos de Pinto Bandeira area receives about 50,000 visitors a year, so it feels calmer than the main valley.

Plan three or four wineries a day at most. Tastings are generous, distances are short but slow, and lunch takes time.

Ride the Maria Fumaça

A tourist steam train, the Maria Fumaça, runs between Bento Gonçalves, Garibaldi and Carlos Barbosa. The trip includes music, a wine and juice tasting and stops in the towns. It is popular with families and tour groups, so book ahead in high season.

Eat Italian-Brazilian food

Food here follows the immigrants’ traditions. Look for galeto (spit-roasted young chicken) served with polenta, salads and pasta, and sopa de capeletti (small stuffed pasta in broth). Many restaurants serve a set meal with many courses at one price. The Vale dos Vinhedos alone has about 19 restaurants, several inside wineries.

Drive the Caminhos de Pedra

The Caminhos de Pedra route in Bento Gonçalves passes old stone and wooden houses built by Italian settlers. Several are open as small shops, workshops and cafés. It is a good half day between winery visits.

Costs

Standard tastings and cellar tours are modest. Premium experiences cost much more. Book them directly with each winery, since prices change each season.

The biggest variable is transport between wineries. A rental car is usually cheapest for two or more people. A private driver costs more but lets everyone taste.

Practical tips

• Do not drink and drive. Brazil has zero tolerance for alcohol at the wheel. Hire a driver, join a tour, or use spit buckets if you are driving.
• Book ahead. Many wineries ask for reservations, especially for tours, on weekends and in winter.
• Carry wine home carefully. Wineries sell bottles at cellar-door prices. If you are flying, pack them in checked luggage and check your airline’s limits.
• Bring layers. Even in summer, evenings in the hills can be cool.
• Mind Sunday and Monday. Some smaller wineries and restaurants close early in the week. Call ahead.

Skip it if

Skip the Vale dos Vinhedos if you do not drink wine and will not hire a driver or rent a car. Distances between wineries make days without a car slow. Skip it if you expect one cheap day trip from Gramado. There is no direct bus, so the connection costs most of a day. Skip the premium experiences if your budget is under R$ 200 per person, and ask instead about standard tastings. Skip winter weekends if you dislike crowds and high prices. For food that goes with the wine, see Brazilian food by region.